Vietnam’s Ca Mau to spend almost $343,000 on crab genetic conservation, development

The provincial department said on Friday that a second official notice had been issued to call on universities, research institutes, organizations, and individuals to apply for provincial-level science and technology tasks.

Among the projects on offer is the study on the conservation and sustainable development of Ca Mau crab genetic resources.

The project is aimed at preserving valuable genetic traits of local seawater crab populations, maintaining biodiversity and enhancing the economic efficiency of the province’s seafood sector.

The research is expected to propose technical solutions for disease prevention and treatment, improve farming techniques, and develop selective breeding and crossbreeding methods to produce crab strains with a faster growth rate and larger size.

Apart from the crab project, the department is also calling for participation in several other science and technology tasks.

These include the application of viral vectors in the production of RNA interference to prevent the transmission of the white spot syndrome virus from broodstock black tiger shrimp to subsequent generations, and science-based solutions to promote aquaculture development in Ca Mau Province’s marine economic zone.

Other initiatives involve building value-chain models for commercial tilapia farming for export, and applying and expanding models for oyster farming and processing across the province.

Ca Mau crab, particularly the renowned Nam Can crab, is considered one of the province’s signature specialties and is highly valued in both domestic and international markets.

The province currently has around 380,000 hectares of crab farming, mostly integrated with shrimp cultivation.

The province’s annual crab output averages about 40,000 metric tons.

Crab farming provides stable livelihoods for tens of thousands of local households in Ca Mau.